Short-Term Rehabilitation Services in an Inpatient Setting

When a family member is in the hospital for an acute illness, surgery, or injury, the next step in care may be short-term rehabilitation services. Rehab includes treatment to help patients get back all or some of the movement and function they lost because of the current health problem, or as a result of treatment for that problem. Often, rehab occurs in settings such as an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) or skilled nursing facility (SNF). This guide provides need-to-know information about rehab, including types of settings and services, basic facts about paying for rehab, and what patients and family caregivers can expect from the transition from a hospital to a rehab setting or program.

For versions of this brochure in Spanish, Chinese, and Russian click here.